Telephone booth



July l5, 1930.

O. GULLICKSENZy TELEPHONE oo'ra Filed July 26. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 15 1930 o. GuLucKsEN 1,770,612

TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed July 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zaz/eizifow uly 15, 1930. o. GULLICKSEN ly7709612 TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed July 26, 192e 3 shams-sheet 3 Fatened daily l5, w3@

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PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

OLE GULLICKSEN, 01?'o CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

TELEPHONE BOOTH Application led July 26,

rlhe present invention relates to telephone booths and is particularly concerned with novel door structure for telephone booths.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a novel door structure for telephone booths and the like, including a hinge which eliminates all possibility of the pinching of the lingers or clothing of an occupant, and which is peculiarly adapted to be more securely fastened to the leaves comprising the folding door.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel folding door structure for telephone booths, which is noiseless in its operation so as to prevent the annoyance of the occupants of adjacent booths by the opening and closing of doors and which has no projecting parts outside the booth when the door is folded, so that there will be no tendency on the part of the ,users to close the door from the outside, and the booth when vacant, will always have its door open in readiness for a new occupant.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel hinge for telephone booths which is inherently non-pinching, and provided with stop means for limiting the outward movement of the door and which is also adapted to be more securely fastened to the door leaves than the hinges of the prior art. I

Another object is the provision of a novel hinge comprising a plurality of curved plate sections, formed with knuckles or bearings, all of said sections being aligned and pivoted by a single pintle rod, and certain of the bearings being cut away to permit the insertion of an elongated stop member rotatably carried by the pintle and adapted to limit the movement of the hinge plates toward each other.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of a novel slider and guide structure for folding doors of the class described 'l whereby these parts may be assembled and permanently secured together with a minimum expenditure of time and labor, and whereby rattling` of the slider in its guide is prevented, even after long periods of hard service.

1928. Serial No. 295,477.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, of which there are three sheets;

Fig. l is a front elevational View of'a telephone booth embodying my invention with the doors closed;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the doors in open or folded position;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the door leaves and adjacent parts of the booth, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. tis an enlarged detail View of the hinge shown in Fig. 3, taken on the line of a pair of attaching screws;

Fig. 5 is a. similar view taken through one of the stop members shown in Figs. 9 and 10 ;v

Fig. 6 is a cross'sectional view of the door leaves, guide and slider, taken just above the doors and guide of Fig. l, with the door shown folded in dotted lines;

Fig.`7 is an elevational cross sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, showing the slider, slider bracket and guide;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view through one end of the guide, showing the mode of attachment of the guide to its support and taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of the upper end of my telephone booth hinge, showing one of the sections of the hinge and one of the stop members; p

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view in perspective I of the hinge stopinember.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, 20 indicates in its entirety my telephone booth which is preferably formed of a iioor 21, a ceiling and a plurality of side panels 22 and 23, with a back panel 24 and a front panel 25, having a door opening 26 therein. The side panels 22 and 23 may be replaced by interior separator panels whenever it is desired to form a compartment'group of telephone booths, and the interior of the booth is provided with the usual telephone shelf 27 located in the rear corner of the side toward which the door leaves fold.

The floor 21 may be provided with a threshold 28 comprising a strip a carborundum secured flush with the surface of the floor by means of a lurality of screws 29 and adapted to provi e a firm footingfor an occupant upon entering the booth.

The door opening 26 is adapted to be closed by a door comprising a pair of door leaves 30 and 31 and the door leaves are preferably, but not necessarily, provided with windows 32 in order to permita view of the occupant so that others may know thatl the booth is occupied.

The door leaves 30 and 31 are of substantially the same construction, having side frame members 33 and 34 and transverse frame members 35 and 36, the leaf being completed by the panels 37 and windows 32. I prefer to form the door leaves 30 and 31 of substantially equal width in order that there may be no parts of the door leaf 30 projectin from the booth when the doors are in the fo ded position shown in Fig. 2. By leaving no pro)ecting doors, there is no tendency on the part of the users to close the door on leaving the booth, because there are no parts which may be conveniently grasped from the outside to close the door. When an occupant enters the door, however, the door may be readily closed by means of the handle 38 carried on the inside ofthe door leaf 30 adjacent the hin e 39.

The door lea 31 is pivotall u n the booth 20 b means o a plurality o hinges 40 preferab y formed and attached in such manner that the pivot point or pintle 41 of the hinge is spaced suilicientl from. the edge of the frame member 33 so tiat the door leaf 31 may be folded against the end wall 23, thereby utilizing the space behind the door frame member 42 for receiving the doors in the folded position of 2.

The door leaves 30 and 31 are `Joined by a hinge 39 which may consist of a plurality of separate sections 43 and 44, allvr of which are p'g'otally supported upon a pintle rod 45.'

e 'provision of a plurality of hinge sections 43. 44, enables the construction of a hinge of sufficient length to extend the full height of the doors, upon standard machinery of limited width, and the common pintle 45 is adapted to align and pivotally support the hinged sections so that they may be readily secured in aligned position upon the door leaves 30 and 31.

The hinge 39 is ypreferably formed of a pair of curved hinge plates 46 and 47, each having one edge bent or curled to substantially cylindrical for'm as at 48, forming a knuckle or bearing adapted to receive the pintle 45 and the balance of the hinge plates are curved in an opposite direction as at 49 supported f through substantially one-quarter of a cylindrical surface or 90.

Alternate portions of the curved bearings 0r knuckles 48 on the hinge plates 46 and 47 are out away in the usual manner in the formation of hinges so that the knuckles on each hin e plate are adapted to be aligned with the nuckles on the o )posite hinge plate and pivotally secured on the same pintle rod 45 as shown in Fig. 9. The hinge is also provided with a plurality of cutouts 50 at the knuckles 48 where the knuckle is cut away from both hinge plates 46 and 47 for a suilicient length to permit the insertion of an elongated stop member 51. The stop member 51 comprises a substantially cylindrical member having -an axial bore 52 adapted to receive the pintle rod 45 and having upper and lower flat surfaces 53 adapted to engage the flat surfaces above and below the adjucent knuckles. The outer cylindrical surface 54 is substantially similar in appearance to the outer c lindrical surface of the hinge knuckle, an stop member 51 is provided with an inwardlyprojecting lug 55 adapted to be engaged between the edges 56 and 57 of the hinge plates 46 and 47 to limit the motion of the hinge plates towardl each other.

Each of the sections 43 and 44 of the hinge is preferably provided with such a stop meinber which prevents the hinge plates from approaching each other any farther than the positions shown in Figs. 3 to 5, and which also is adapted to limit the outward folding movement of the door leaves 30 and 31. I am thus enabled to eliminate stop members which have been necessary in the telephone booths of the prior art Where ,ordinary hinges have been emplo ed.

The edges of the door leaves 3() and 31 adjacent the hinge 39 are preferably formed with curved surfaces 58 and 59 which are complementary to the outer surfaces of the hinge plates 46 and 47, and the hinge plates are preferably rabbeted into the edge of the door so that the door leavesproject as at 59 substantially flushi with the 1nner surface of the hinge. The doors may also be provided with flat edges 60 extendin from the curved surface 58 to the outer ace of the doors and the flat surfaces 60 are of such width that 'the'face 61 of the door is in substantial alignment with the axis of the pintle 45.

The hinge plates 46 and 47 are provided with a plurality of regularly spaced screw apertures 62 which are preferably countersunk as at 63 to receive the heads of thef eliminating any tendency for the screws to emerge from ,the sides of the door or to cause splitting of the door leaves during the assembly of the hinge.

By the use cfa hinge which enables the screws to be driven edgewise, my hinge may be more iirmly and durably secured to the door leaves, and by means of the curved hinge plates 46 and 47, the inner surface of the door is so constructed that it is practically impossible to pinch the lingers or clothing of thel occupant between the hinge or adjacent edges of the door.

The folding door leaf is preferably provided with means for guiding this leaf into the folded position shown in Fig. 6, comprising a guide 65 carried by a guide support 66 just above the door opening 26. The guide support 66 comprises the piece cf lumber of substantial thickness which may be of substantially triangular form, having a groove 67 extending along the rear side thereof. The groove 67 is adapted to receive the channelled metal guide 65 which -is of substantially U-shaped cross section, and to support the channelled guide 65 with its I channel downward and disposed at an angle to the front of the booth as shown in Fig. 6. The guide 65 forms a metal lined groove 68 which is adapted to receive a non-metallic slider 69 pivotally carried by a bracket 70 secured to the door leaf 30.

The bracket 70 comprises a cast metal member having an attaching flange 7l which may be secured to the door leaf 30 by means of a plurality of screws 72, and having a body extending backward and upward at right angles, and terminating in an upper cylindrical portion 7 3 which Ets in a complementary bore 74 in the slider 69. The cylindrical portion 73 of the bracket is preferably reduced in size, forming an annular shoul- 1 der 75 upon which the slider may rest, and

the slider 69 comprises a block of non-metallic fiber such as bakelite or commercial fiber, and adapted to fit within the guide 65.

The guide is provided with a felt buffer block 76 fitting within the channel 68, and the guide may be secured to' its support by means of a pair of screws 77 assing through the lateral walls of the gui e from the outside of the frame member 66. One of the screws 77 may at the same time secure the felt buii'er 76 within one end of the guide 65.

It should be noted that-the range of movement of the slider'69 is such that the transverse screws within the guide 65 do not interfere with the slider 69, these screws being'` located at the ends of the guide beyond this range of movement.

' The bracket 70 is preferably carried by the door leaf 30 at a point spaced from its free edge 78, and the guide member 65 should slant backward from the outside of the telephone booth so that the final position of the evident from the slider 69 in the dotted lines of Fig. 6 will be spaced a distance from the front of the booth which is substantially equal to the space between the edge 78 of the door leaf 30 and the pivot 73 of the bracket 70.

I prefer to locate the bracket spaced from the edge 78 of the door leaf 3() so that upon the application of an outward pressure to the door leaf 30 at the point 79, inside the ,inner free edge of the door, the door leaf'30 will pivot about the ivot 7 3, its free edge rotating outward with) the hinge 39` folding inward. It is thus ossible to open the door leaves 30, 31 from t e inside, either by pull- -ing on the handle 38 or by pressing outward at the free edge of the door leaf 30, and the door is automatically opened by pressure at the proper point.

The door frame is preferably provided with a stop member 80 extending along the door frame adjacent the free edge of the door and ada ted to limit the inward movementl of the e ge 78 of the door leaf 30.

In orderto eliminate the sound caused by the impact of the ed e 79 with the stop 80, I prefer a cushion of elt 81 along the contacting edge of the door stop 80, and the felt 81 may be secured in place by compressing it between the door stop 80 and the frame member 82, and securing the sameby the same fastening screws. The contacting edge of the felt 8l may thus be secured without the use of glue, in such manner that the felt can never become loose, and its resilient qualities are not lessened by the felt being impreg-A nated with glue or other cement.

' The operation of my sliding door will be receding description. The doors are norma ly in the open position shown in Fig. 2, so that the booth is always ready for a new occupant when it is empty. Upon entering the booth, the occupant may grasp the handle 38, pulling it to the left in Fig. 2, whereupon the slider 69 will move to the left as shown in Fig. 6, pivotino upon the bracket 70 and the doors will fold apart smultaneously, until they reach the position shown in Figs. l and 6. Further outward movement of the central portionof the door is prevented by means of the stop member 51 which is engaged by the adjacent edges of the hinge plates 46 and 47, and the free edge of the door leaf 30 engages the padded door stop 80 without producing any substantial lubricated for a long time b the application of a small amount of grap ite.

My curved hinges also permit the inser tion of wood screws substantially edgewise to the relatively thin door leaves thereby eliminating the possibility of splitting, or the pos` sibility of the screws emerging from the sides of the door leaf.

When it is desired to open the door, this may be done b pressure at the free edge 7 9 of the door lea 30 or by pulling on the handle 34, and the door leaves 30, 31 may be folded to the dotted line position of Fig. 6 where their nal position will be deterinined by the engagement of the slider 69 with the felt buffer 76, this operation being accom plished without any substantial noise, which would annoy the occupants of adjacent booths. v

As there are no parts of the door projecting from the booth when the doors are folded, there is no tendency on the part of the user to close the door when he emerges from the booth, and consequently the door is always left as it should be, in open folded position, so that the booth is ready for a new occupant.

It will thus be observed that I have invented a novel hinge which is peculiarly adapted to be used on the folding doors of telephone booths to prevent pinching of the fingers or clothing of the occupant when the doors are closed, and my telephone booth doors are ada ted to be actuated to either open or closed position without producing any substantial noise. My guide, buffer and stop pad are secured in lace in a manner which eliminates the expen iture of much time or labor, and my doors may be folded within the telephone booth in a minimum of space.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be'made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of' the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention` what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a telephone booth or the like, the combination of an enclosure, with a folding door v including a pair of door leaves, the rst of said door leaves having one of its edges pivotall mounted on said enclosure, with a hinge for Joining the other edge of said first door leaf with the edge of the second of said door leaves, said hinge comprising` a pair of metal plates, each plate having a plurality of bearmg sections formed thereon, and said bearing sections being -ada ted to fit together upon a common pintle, t e adjacent edges of said door leaves being gouged out longitudinally to form aspace between said edges when said door is closed, and said hinges being formed complementary to said edges to provide a non-pinching connection between said door leaves, and a stop for engaging one of said door leaves to maintain said hinge plates in spaced relation.

2. In a telephone booth or the like, the combination of an enclosure, with a folding door including a pair of door leaves, the first of said door leaves having one of its edges pivotally mounted on said enclosure, with a hinge for joining the other edge of said first door leaf with the edge of the second of said door leaves, said hinge comprising a pair of metal plates, each plate having a plurality of bearing sections formed thereon, said leaves having adjacent concavely curved edges to provide a space between said edges when the door is closed and said metal lates being curved coniplen'ientary to said a jacent edges of said door leaves, said bearing sections of said hinge plates being adapted to fit together upon a common pintle, and a stop for engaging one of said door leaves to maintain said hinge plates in spaced relation when said door is in closed position.

3. In a telephone booth or the like, the combination of an enclosure, with a folding door including a pair of door leaves, the first of said door leaves having one of its edges pivotally mounted on said enclosure, with a hinge for joining the other edge of said first door leaf with the edge of the second of said door leaves, said hinge comprising a pair of curvedV metal plates, and said door leaves, having adjacent concavely curved edges, formed complementary to said hinge plates, each of said hinge plates, being formed with a plurality of bearin sections, and said bearing sections being a apted to fit together' upon a common pintle, a stop for engaging the edge of one of said leaves, to maintain said hinge plates in spaced relation to forni a non-pinchlng closure, and an auxiliary stop comprislng an elongated metal member. formed with shoulders for engaging said hinge plates, and pivotally mounted upon said pintle between a pair of said sections.

4. In a telephone booth or the like, the combination of an enclosure with a folding door comprising a pair of door leaves of substantially equal width, means for pivotally mounting the first of said door leaves on said enclosure,'hinge means for pivotally mounting the second/of said door leaves ,on said first door leaf, a substantially U-shaped guide member carried by said enclosure transversely to said door and diagonally backward from said door, and a trunnion carried by the second of said door leaves substantially midway between the edges of said door leaf, and adapted to be received in said guide, whereby said door may be positioned in open position substantially within said enclosure.

5. In a telephone booth or the like, the combination of an enclosure with a foldin door comprising a pair of door leaves of su stantially equal width, means for pivotally mounting the first of said door leaves on said en- 5 closure, hinge means :for pivotally mounting the second of said door leaves on said first door leaf, a substantially U-shaped guide member carried by said enclosure transversely to said door and diagonally backward from said lo door, a trunnion'carried by the second of said door leaves substantially midway between the edges of said door leaf, and adapted to be reif ceived in said guide, whereby said door may be positioned in open position substantially within said enclosure, a non-metallic slider carried by said trunnion'for engaging the walls of said guide and resilient stop members mounted in said guide for engaging said sliden 6. In a telephone booth or the like, the combination of an enclosure, with a folding door including a pair of door leaves, the first of said door leaves having one of its edges pivotally mounted on said enclosure, and said door leaves having their adjacent edges pivotally joined together, said adjacent edges of said door leavesbeing provided with a longitudinally extending recess to leave a space between said edges when the door is closed, a hinge for joining said door leaves, comprising hinge plates extending substantially the full length of said' door leaves, said hinge plates being secured to the adjacent edges of said door leaves in spaced relation to form a non-pinching hinge, and said hinge plates being formed with a plurality of bearing sections, complementary to each other and joined together with a common pintle to provide a substantial closure of the crack between said door a0 leaves.

7. In a telephone boot-l1, the combination of a booth with a folding door including a pair of door leaves, hinge means for mounting the outer edge of the first of said door 45 leaves on said'booth, a hinge for joining the v other edge of said door leaf with the adjacent edge of the second of said door leaves, said hinge comprising a pair of metal plates, said plates being formed with bearings for a pintle and said plates extending substantially the length of said door leaves, means for pivotally joining said plates, the axis of pivot being located substantially at the outer face of the door leaves, said door leaves being longitudinally recessed at their adjacent edges to prevent pinching of the fingers between said edges when the door is closed, and means for securing said plates to said leaves,

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe eo my name this 24 day of July, 1928.

' OLE GULLICKSENV.

Jill,

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,770,612. Granted July 15, 1930, to

OLE GULLICKSEN.

It is hereby certified that error -appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 102, claim 3, after the wordfplates insert before the comma the phrase "to provide a space between said edges.when the door is closed"; and that the' said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. v Signed and`sealedthis 26th day of August, A. D. 1930.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

